Oregon State Hospital "North Campus" 1912. The Glen Oaks Orphan's Home with its turret is at far left, the new Receiving Ward is under construction, and the Dome Building is just behind and to right. [Photo: OSH Museum/Christy Van Heukelem] January 23, 2020 episode.
Historians are hired to research a wide variety of topics for their clients. Typically it is the lineage of a family, or the history of a property or an organization. Occasionally research is needed to clear up a question involving a property and its relationship with another. This was the case with a parcel that was part of the Oregon State Hospital grounds that required the expertise of Kimberli Fitzgerald, the City of Salem's historic preservation officer, and our own research bulldog, co-host Christy Van Heukelem.
Historians are hired to research a wide variety of topics for their clients. Typically it is the lineage of a family, or the history of a property or an organization. Occasionally research is needed to clear up a question involving a property and its relationship with another. This was the case with a parcel that was part of the Oregon State Hospital grounds that required the expertise of Kimberli Fitzgerald, the City of Salem's historic preservation officer, and our own research bulldog, co-host Christy Van Heukelem.
Salem & Suburbs Map, c1892, showing Insane Asylum, lower left, Orphan's Home, across Center Street to the right, with the State Cemetery and the Lee Mission Cemetery adjacent. [Photo: CVH] The OSH properties to the north of Center Street, east of 24th Street, are called the North Campus. Other than the Dome Building, a recognized historic resource, the other buildings were demolished in recent years. The building at the far left of the photograph above is the 1887 Glen Oaks Orphan's Home.
This parcel was originally part of the Josiah L. & Elizabeth Winn Parrish donation land claim. The Parrish family donated 10 acres to the Oregon Children's Aid Society in the 1880's for construction of the orphan's home, as well as several adjacent acres to the northwest for construction of the Lee Mission Cemetery. The Glen Oaks Orphan's Home was sold to Salem Hospital in 1887, and Salem General Hospital opened there in 1889.
This parcel was originally part of the Josiah L. & Elizabeth Winn Parrish donation land claim. The Parrish family donated 10 acres to the Oregon Children's Aid Society in the 1880's for construction of the orphan's home, as well as several adjacent acres to the northwest for construction of the Lee Mission Cemetery. The Glen Oaks Orphan's Home was sold to Salem Hospital in 1887, and Salem General Hospital opened there in 1889.
  Land Survey Map, c1900 (above) showing State Hospital plat; inset highlights original cemetery site [Photo: CVH] | Now that the State of Oregon has removed the previous buildings from the North Campus property, they wished to sell the property to the City of Salem. The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde notified the State that they had questions as to whether any remains of Native American patients were still interred in the cemetery once located on this site. The State contended that the remains were disinterred in the early 1900s and then cremated, but records to substantiate that claim could not be located. The State then hired specialists to dig test holes at the site they had originally identified as the cemetery, but nothing was found. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) was also utilized but found no conclusive evidence of any remains either. |
This is where Christy enters the story, when the State hired her to research available records to find documentation that might substantiate the record regarding the disposition of these remains. This project proved to be a three-month-long endeavor, with Christy logging more than 170 hours in dogged research, including perusing pages of old newspaper accounts, questioning the record-keepers for period mortuaries, sifting through property transfer documents, even reading the numerous pages of a few Oregon State Board of Control Biennial Reports to the Legislature as she attempted to "follow the money."
Although she did find records of the purchase and installation of a crematory on the grounds of the Asylum, she was unable to locate any documents verifying that the remains were actually disinterred and cremated, However, she also found no documentation that any graves or remains were discovered during the years of subsequent redevelopment on this site.
Although she did find records of the purchase and installation of a crematory on the grounds of the Asylum, she was unable to locate any documents verifying that the remains were actually disinterred and cremated, However, she also found no documentation that any graves or remains were discovered during the years of subsequent redevelopment on this site.
Boatwright Engineering Survey Map, Oct. 1950, showing the parcel sold to Salem General Hospital by the State of Oregon. [Photo: CVH]
This is a close-up view from an accompanying 1950 Boatwright Eng. survey map of the relevant area showing the proposed building location and the two test pit specifications. [Photo: CVH]
Christy was able to ascertain that the cemetery probably extended farther than originally believed. She located 1950 survey maps from Boatrwright Engineering done prior to the construction of the Morse Building-Maternity Unit for Salem General Hospital on land recently purchased from the State, that demonstrate the boundary being farther west. An ArcMap Plot Map obtained from the City of Salem taken before the hospital's demolition in 2017-18 show the proposed building fully constructed on the site.
The City of Salem's ArcMap Plot map taken prior to 2017 shows the constructed building in place, center. Lee Mission Cemetery is in the left center, Salem General Hospital, lower center, and Dome Building at lower right. [Photo: CVH]
Unfortunately, unlike the mystery and genealogy shows we view on media today, no definitive answer to the original question was obtained. The only conclusion Christy was able to develop was that at least a portion of the Asylum cemetery was located at a different site than was tested, either with the new test pits or the ground-penetrating radar. It will be left to subsequent property owners and their researchers to ultimately determine if there are any remains in that specific area.
As so often happens when doing in-depth research, additional questions present themselves more often than real answers. Although it can be quite frustrating at times, we have to admit that this is often where the "fun" begins--just what treasures will you find in the next book or on the next map?
To learn more of the details of the very convoluted path Christy followed to attempt to settle this issue, check out the final report she submitted to the Department of Administrative Services and posted on her website, Lineage & Lore.org. To listen to the podcast of this episode, click here.
~~Posted by Deb Meaghers
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